HUNGER STRIKE

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A VIETNAMESE National Van Thang Nguyen went on hunger strike at the Rove police cell, West Honiara since the weekend.

A well placed source within the Correctional Services told the Solomon Star that the Vietnam man refused to eat his daily meals provided to him at the cell in protest against Government authorities who failed to sort out issues related to his remand and deportation.

“The Vietnamese went on hunger strike at Rove custody since last week.

“He even collapsed at one point and was referred to the medical room.“He demanded the authorities to look into his remand and deportation case," the source said. Its understood that the Vietnamese served a life sentence in 2012 for the murder of a fellow crewman on board a Taiwanese Fishing vessel berthing at Point Cruz, Honiara.

He was released on parole in 2015 and has been looked after by locals, who are his close friends.

But the Vietnamese fisherman’s life made a turn when he marriedlocal girl who then had a child.

He then resided with the local girl and their child for almost 2 years in Honiara.

Recently, the mother of the local girl whom Nguyen stayed with Ethel Tanai reported the case to police and immigration calling for his immediate deportation to Vietnam.

Mrs Tanai claimed the Vietnamese national ill-treated her daughter and disrespected their family.

In response to the call, police and immigration officers apprehended him and he was detained at the Rove Correctional Centre while investigations were conducted.

But Charles Ashley, a custodian of Nguyen during his release told the Solomon Star that the case is quite complicated.

“According to the law, all foreigners who served their time here should be deported to their country of origin after release.

“For poor Nguyen, it is alleged that the authorities lost his passport.

“The immigration officials also told me that they lacked the funds to meet the deportation cost,” Mr Ashley said adding that authorities forgot about his case after the parole.

Mr Ashley said, Nguyen should be released from jail because the 14 days for his detention is already up.

“On humanitarian grounds, he now has a kid in Honiara which authorities and the law should look into.

“The law is there and it is up to responsible authorities to deal with since even the Correctional officers called me up in confusion over the case of Nguyen.”

Mr Ashley said he looked after Nguyen for sometime now and he has easily blended in well with the local community.

It is understood, Nguyen was also engaged by authorities as a translator for the detained Vietnamese reef robbers at Rove Police club early this year.

Attempts to speak with the Chief immigration officer Christopher Akosawa on Monday were unsuccessful.